Danon concedes to Roberts in District 3 supervisors race

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Steve Danon has conceded in the race against Dave Roberts for the District 3 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The latest vote tallies released Wednesday evening showed Roberts, the deputy mayor of Solana Beach, holding a lead over Danon, the former chief of staff to Congressman Brian Bilbray, of 2,796 votes.

News of Danon's concession was announced by Roberts through a Twitter post, and confirmed by Elise Dufresne, a Danon campaign spokeswoman, Thursday morning. The win for Roberts will make him the first Democratic supervisor in the county since Leon Williams in 1994.

“As votes continue to be tallied, it is clear that the people have made their decision," Danon said in a prepared statement.

The people of San Diego benefited from the spirited debate of the campaign, he added.

"To those who donated their time, passion, hard-earned dollars, or ideas, and to those who voted -- whether for me or for my opponent -- I am sincerely grateful," Danon said, adding that he plans to continue serving the community in some capacity.

“That includes offering assistance to Supervisor-Elect Roberts in any way that I am able," Danon added. "I wish the best to the man who was formerly my opponent, and I ask all San Diego County residents to join me in supporting the incoming supervisor so that our region remains one where families can thrive, businesses can flourish, and government keeps its place as a small but transparent supporter of our quality of life.”

Roberts’ last day as a councilman and the deputy mayor in Solana Beach will be Dec. 14, and he’ll assume office on the Board of Supervisors Jan. 7. An examination of priorities will follow, he has said previously.

"During the campaign, I talked about the economy and the ability for the county to really get out of the way to help create jobs in the private sector," Roberts said in earlier interviews following the election.

Once sworn in, he plans to explore the idea of creating an office to help small businesses grow, he said.